Phlox Drummond: description, planting and care

Drummond's phlox is a herbaceous annual plant of the phlox genus. In the natural environment, it grows in the southwestern United States, as well as in Mexico. This ornamental shrub is very popular with flower growers due to its unpretentiousness and abundant bright flowering.

The culture was brought to Europe by the English botanist Drummond, translated from Greek, the name of the flower means "fire". Let us dwell in more detail on the description of this decorative annual.

Phlox in most cases are perennial plants, while quite tall, and this is their main difference with Drummond phlox. Agree, few people will like the impassable jungle in rockeries, alpine hills or curbs. Drummond's phlox can be the best option for well-groomed garden plots. The height of the bush does not exceed 45-50 cm, and the overwhelming majority of existing varietal variations grow only up to 30 cm.The size of the flowers is only 2 cm in diameter, but due to the fact that they are collected in large inflorescences, phloxes give the impression of blooming magnificently.

The flowering period usually lasts all summer and part of autumn; in warm weather, the plant pleases with its colors even in November. The shade range of different varieties can vary depending on the characteristic features of the variety. Most often it is white or purple, but there are plants with dark red flowering.

The phlox Drummond bush is usually branched, except for the inflorescences, it has clearly distinguished oval lanceolate leaf plates located opposite.

Thanks to the wide variety of varieties, you can always choose the plants of the tone and height you need. For example, dwarf varieties with a height of 20-30 cm are optimal for carpeting of flower beds, and high phlox 40-50 cm long can create spectacular bright accents on flower beds as part of mixborders.

Phlox Drummond are characterized by high resistance to sunlight. They do not fade in the sun, which means that even in the most illuminated places the plants will look healthy. Phloxes are not afraid of frosts down to -5 degrees.

Among the large varietal variety of Drummond phlox, only some of their varieties are used in domestic gardening.

Low-growing phloxes grow only up to 20 cm, but at the same time they are distinguished by rather strong branching. This type of large-flowered Drummond phlox is distinguished by a rather lush flowering, and the flowers, the diameter of which reaches 3 cm, can have a wide variety of colors - from milky white to bright scarlet. Like all other types of phlox, they can have a wide variety of colors, thereby creating a colorful carpet in flower beds and borders. This species is often planted to decorate balconies and loggias.

"Star Rain" - This is a tall variety with stems 45-50 cm long. The flowers visually resemble stars, it is from here that the variety got its name.Inflorescences are quite fragrant, characterized by long-term abundant flowering. Star-shaped inflorescences show increased resistance to drought and frost. For prolonged flowering and increased decorativeness, it is necessary to plant the plant in open sunny areas, since in the shade it practically does not give flower stalks.

Terry phlox is medium-sized, reaching a height of 25-30 cm. Dense inflorescences grow close to each other, so the feeling of a large flower is created. The shade range of petals is quite wide and mainly includes a mix of yellow, beige and reddish colors. Terry phlox are most often grown for decorating loggias and terraces, they are optimal for planting in pots and pots.

Phloxes look invariably impressive varieties "Tapestry" and "Promis lilac blue".

As we already mentioned, most Drummond phlox varieties prefer illuminated areas, in partial shade they wither and do not bloom. That is why this crop should be planted in open areas. You should not be afraid of direct ultraviolet rays - these flowers are quite resistant to drought., but what they do not tolerate is stagnation of moisture. With excessive moisture, the roots rot and the plant quickly dies. The crop grows best on nutritious fertile land. In fertilized soil, the inflorescences are larger, and their flowering lasts much longer.

The easiest way is to purchase already grown seedlings of this or that plant for seedlings, and then transplant them to a permanent place on your site. But Drummond phloxes are suitable for seed reproduction, in which case you just need to have a little patience. If you decide to get Drummond phlox from seeds, you need to know about the intricacies of this process.

Planting is best done in the first half of May, when the threat of return frosts has passed. However, these plants are highly frost-resistant, so planting can be done at the end of autumn. With prolonged warming, the seeds can grow ahead of time, then subsequent frosts will immediately destroy the seed material. That is why planting seeds in November can be carried out only when the probability of warming is completely excluded.

If you do not trust the forecasts of the hydrometeorological center, you can use folk signs. For example, after the last leaf comes off the cherry, the heat will no longer return. If, nevertheless, an unexpected warming has occurred, you need to cover the planting area with agrofibre or any other covering material as soon as possible - it will not allow the soil to thaw under the rays of the still warming sun.

In areas with warm winters, Drummond phloxes can be planted even in winter in December or early January. To do this, you will need to stock up on black soil and leave it in a relatively warm place. When snowfalls begin in winter and the snow finally covers the ground, you need to trample the site for planting, pour out the prepared soil, scatter the seeds and cover them with snow.

When exactly to plant phlox - in spring or autumn, it is the business of every grower. In any case, if you intend to achieve abundant and long flowering in the current season and at the same time minimize the risk of freezing, spring planting is preferable. To do this, light grooves should be made in a pre-prepared area and moistened abundantly, then leave so that the moisture is completely absorbed. 2-3 seeds are planted in one hole, 12-15 cm of space are left between the holes. If all the seedlings germinate at once, do not worry - you can always pinch the weakest ones later.

After a couple of weeks, the first shoots appear, until this moment it is best to cover the planting area with agrofibre - this way you can maintain the required level of moisture. After germination, the soil should be carefully loosened and fertilized. To begin with, nitrogen compounds are needed, and then complex solutions are introduced at intervals of two weeks. In this case, flowering will begin no earlier than the first decade of July and will last almost until the end of autumn.

For autumn planting, seedlings are placed in the substrate in October or November. If there is already a layer of snow, it must first be removed, and then the seeds should be poured directly onto the frozen soil so that the distance between them is 4-6 cm. The planting material should be covered with leaves with mulch and covered with snow.

For beginner growers, it is best to grow phlox by seedling method. For this, in March, seeds are planted in boxes or containers. They will need to be kept in a heated room, where the temperature is kept at around 15 degrees, and the humidity is consistently high. Under these conditions, sprouts appear 7-14 days after planting. Then you need to ensure a stable-moderate moisture of the substrate, otherwise there is a high risk of rot on the roots and death of seedlings. After 3 weeks, young sprouts can be dived or transplanted into peat pots, several pieces at a time.

The planting material will need to be fertilized three times at intervals of 10 days, then reduce watering. In order for the bush to grow as magnificently as possible, the seedlings at the stage of 5-6 leaves are pinched, and in May they are moved to a permanent site.

Phlox Drummond are distinguished by their unpretentious care. All they need is regular watering, feeding and timely removal of dried inflorescences.

Plants are watered with lukewarm water, moisture should be constant, but moderate: there should be a bucket of water per square meter of soil. Watering should be slightly more abundant during flowering. Irrigation is carried out in the morning or after 4 pm, so as not to allow water to get on the buds and leaves. For rapid cultivation, Drummond phloxes are fed several times per season. The first fertilizer is applied at the end of May - during this period, rotted manure can be added at the rate of 30 g per bucket of water. After 2 weeks, it is worth feeding the culture with a mixture of superphosphate and potassium salt, and at the beginning of July, phloxes will need nitrogen and minerals.

Phloxes prefer oxygenated soils, so special attention should be paid to loosening throughout the entire flowering period. This must be done carefully and shallowly so as not to damage the roots.

Ornamental annuals of Drummond phlox can reproduce in several ways.

• By dividing the bush. To do this, they dig out a bush, divide it, leaving eyes with roots, and then transplant it.

• Sheet. For such reproduction in late June - early July, you need to cut off a clean leaf of the shoot, bury it bud down into a wet substrate, sprinkle it with sand, and cut the top of the leaf by a couple of centimeters. The planting material is covered with a film, creating a greenhouse effect. The temperature inside the greenhouse should be maintained at 19-21 degrees. From time to time, the soil must be moistened and ventilated. Rooting occurs after 3-4 weeks.

• Cuttings. To do this, in June, at a healthy bush, the stems are cut so that a pair of lateral shoots are obtained on each part, a cut is formed from below, and the leaves located on top are removed.The cuttings prepared in this way are buried in the substrate and sprinkled with river sand, the distance between them should be about 5 cm.For good rooting, planting material should be watered twice a day. The stalk is kept in a greenhouse for a couple of weeks, after which young shoots are formed, which can be placed in different beds.

If the conditions of agricultural technology are not followed, plants may encounter fungal diseases and parasites. Most often, Drummond phloxes are affected by one of the following problems.

• Powdery mildew - manifests itself as a white bloom on the leaves. For resuscitation of the plant, you can use activated carbon, crushed wood ash, or treat the culture with fungicidal preparations, for example, "Strobe" or "Alirin-B".
• Root rot - in this case, the stems begin to soften and turn black, brown spots appear on the leaves, and mold forms on the ground around the bush. This plant cannot be reanimated, it must be dug up, and the soil must be treated with copper sulfate. To prevent root rot, even at the time the bush moves into the ground, Enterobacterin or Trichodermin is introduced into the hole.
• Thrips - appear as yellowish spots on stems and leaves. The bush is deformed, and the leaf plates from the seamy side turn gray. In order to cure the plant, the ground around it must be treated with "Aktara" or a decoction of garlic. All damaged parts must be cut off to prevent the development of the disease.
• Spider mite. The pest itself is invisible, but you can guess about the defeat by it by the whitish fine cobweb on the inflorescences and leaves. For the treatment of plants used "Aktofit" and "Kleschevit".

Phlox Drummond is drought-resistant, so the plant can grow well in hanging pots or flowerpots. The culture looks harmoniously in flower beds along with bells, snapdragons, invisibles, as well as cereals and many other plants.

For the features of the care and cultivation of Drummond phlox, see below.